White Sox set Opening Day roster, DFA Korey Lee, Curtis Mead
The White Sox finalized their Opening Day roster Wednesday ahead of their final workout in Milwaukee before kicking off their season Thursday at American Family Field.
Days after the surprise acquisition of catcher Reese McGuire, the team designated backstop Korey Lee for assignment along with infielder Curtis Mead, who played for Australia in the World Baseball Classic.
With promising second-year catcher Kyle Teel starting the year on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring injury from the WBC, the Sox will open the season with two catchers on the 26-man roster, McGuire and Edgar Quero.
The rotation to start the year is Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin and Erick Fedde.
The bullpen includes left-handers Tyler Gilbert, Chris Murphy, Sean Newcomb, along with righties Seranthony Domínguez, Jordan Hicks, Jordan Leasure, Jedixson Páez and Grant Taylor.
They’ll carry five infielders: Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami, Lenyn Sosa and Miguel Vargas.
And they’ll start the year with six outfielders: Luisangel Acuña, Andrew Benintendi, Austin Hays, Derek Hill, Everson Pereira and Tristan Peters.
Utility plate Brooks Baldwin will start on the 10-day IL with an elbow sprain, while righties Prelander Berroa and Drew Thorpe start on the 60-day IL in their recoveries from Tommy John surgery, as does Mike Vasil, who blew out his elbow earlier this month and will miss the entire season.
Sox at Brewers
Thursday: Shane Smith (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (0-0, 0.00), 1:10 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.
Saturday: Sean Burke (0-0, 0.00) vs. Chad Patrick (0-0, 0.00), 6:10 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.
Sunday: Anthony Kay (0-0, 0.00) vs. Brandon Sproat, 1:10 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.